Team USA’s Biggest Winter Olympic Team Has Nabbed Relatively Few Medals so Far

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They came to Pyeongchang with mountains of accolades, heaps of expectations and more airtime than an Olympic ski jumper.

Lindsey Vonn of the United States, at right, is consoled at the finish during the Alpine Skiing Ladies Super-G at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics on Feb. 17, 2018. (Credit: Clive Mason / Getty Images)

But several US star athletes have slipped, skidded or fallen down the ranks, failing to medal in events where they were expected to win hardware.

“I don’t think it’s so much about these athletes ‘choking’ as it is athletes from other countries just getting better,” sports psychologist Dr. Eric Margenau said.

But there have been subpar and even disastrous performances by some of the most hyped and commercialized athletes. And that might not be a coincidence.

‘A whole new level of pressure’

Before he set foot on Olympic ice, Nathan Chen — who trains in Riverside — was touted as a virtual lock for the gold medal. He kept smoking the competition with his jaw-dropping quads. Reporters and promoters couldn’t get enough of him. Chen even starred in a Super Bowl commercial set to James Brown’s “The Boss.”

Then he got to the Olympics and gave the most catastrophic performance of his life.

“As much as I tried to deny it, I did feel the pressure a lot,” Chen said after his calamitous men’s short program.

While all athletes handle pressure differently, Margenau said, hype and commercialization can add “a whole new level of pressure.”

Nathan Chen of the United States competes in the men’s single free program at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics on Feb. 17, 2018. (Credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos / Getty Images)

“You don’t want to let your family down. You don’t want to be embarrassed. You don’t want to let down your sponsors,” Margenau said. “Well the sponsors are big boys. They can handle it.”

Some commercialized athletes have thrived in spite of (or maybe because of) the hype. Snowboarders Shaun White and Chloe Kim, ages 31 and 17, had plenty of pre-Olympics publicity. And each won a gold medal.

‘Tomorrow is another day’

The same hasn’t been true for heavily endorsed skier Lindsey Vonn this Olympics, at least not yet.

The 2010 Olympic downhill champion finished sixth in the super giant slalom, though she has another shot at a medal in this week’s downhill competition.